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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27604942">To Ash And Dust</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latte_Hottay/pseuds/Latte_Hottay'>Latte_Hottay</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hatchetfield Universe - Team StarKid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Nightmare Time Episode 3: Forever &amp; Always, Nightmare Time Episode 4: Time Bastard, Torture, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:34:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,566</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27604942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latte_Hottay/pseuds/Latte_Hottay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>MAJOR SPOILERS FOR NIGHTMARE TIME EPISODE 2 (FOREVER &amp; ALWAYS AND TIME BASTARD)</p><p>Paul &amp; Emma's double decide to spare Emma's life. But not without a few... conditions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Paul Matthews 23/Emma Perkins Android, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To Ash And Dust</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Me after Forever &amp; Always: Nope. I refuse to believe that happened, it's too sad.<br/>Me, 2 weeks later, writing fanfictions: BUT WHAT IF I MAKE IT EVEN SADDER????</p><p>Shoutout to Nina, who was the only person I know who had seen Nightmare Time for a while, and let me rant about both the episode and this story :)</p><p>Also, this is the longest oneshot I've ever written!!! 800 words longer than my previous longest!</p><p>TRIGGER WARNINGS:<br/>-Torture<br/>-Blood<br/>-Injury<br/>-Needles<br/>-Kidnapping<br/>-Death</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Paul, give me that knife!” Emma’s look-alike shouted, reaching for the knife.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No!” Emma shouted, grabbing the double’s arm and pulling her back. “Give </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> the knife, Paul!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Stop it! I’m not letting you two kill each other!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Paul, listen to me…” the double spoke calmly. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> your wife. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> trying to ruin what we have. It has to end!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul looks at her, lowering the knife. “No one has to die. Both of you can live.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“She stole my life!” Emma shouted.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“How many times do I have to tell you that you didn’t deserve your life?!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Stop fighting! Emma,” Paul spoke, addressing the impostor, “We’re not going to kill her. And Emma, she’s right. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> the woman I married.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma nodded, still watching the other Emma’s every move.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Fine,” the double said. “But she can’t leave. She’ll have to stay at our place. I don’t want her to fuck up the life that I built.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Which you did stealing my identity!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The double rolled her mismatched eyes and chuckled, grabbing Emma’s arm. “You’re coming with me.” She snatched the knife from Paul’s hands and pressed the tip of the lemmet against Emma’s back, not yet drawing blood, but enough to be seen as a threat. “Paul, let’s go,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the hotel room’s door.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul nodded, and he met Emma’s gaze. “Please…” she begged.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Paul mouthed, before leaving the room. Emma’s double pushed her forward, and the door fell shut, their stuff left behind in room 311.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*** *** ***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emma’s head spun as it hit the floor of the basement. She scrambled backward, the imposter towering over her, despite being the exact same height.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I hope you like it here,” she said, the corner of her mouth twisting into a grin. “Because you won’t leave. You’ll have to stay here. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Forever and always.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She walked towards the door. “I’ll come back later. First, I have to kill some homeless dude.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The door closed with a bang, and the click of the lock made Emma’s heart sink. She was stuck here.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Getting back to Hatchetfield had been very difficult without a passport, but after almost a year of trying, she finally got on a plane two days ago. Apparently, her sister had been dead for almost two years, and she got married. Sure, Paul was a nice guy, but Emma would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> get married. Not that it mattered… She was stuck here, and if her double had been smart enough to keep this act up without anyone noticing, not even </span>
  <em>
    <span>Paul</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she doubted it would be easy to escape.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma got to her feet, looking around the room. A dirty looking mattress, covered with a scratchy blanket, and a wooden chair next to an old desk were the only things in the room.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She sat down on the mattress and took the braid out of her hair, putting the hair tie around her wrist. She grabbed one of the two pillows, trying to ignore the stains on them.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>What the fuck had happened in this basement before she got here? When they led her here, they had passed another room, also in the basement. She assumed it was a room similar to this one.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma must’ve dozed off, because she woke up to the sound of screaming. The door opened, and a man got pushed inside. He smelled like alcohol and cigarettes. He was probably the homeless man her doppelganger was talking about. But he wasn’t dead.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Her double appeared in the doorway and smiled at Emma, the knife threateningly in her hand. “I thought you’d enjoy some company. You know, it gets pretty lonely down here.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>As the door slammed closed, the homeless man looked up at Emma, confusion clear in his eyes.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah…” Emma sighed. “Not what I expected to happen today either, dude.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“That… That was not Emma Perkins.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma chuckled. “No, but I am. What’s your name?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The man seems to hesitate for a moment, as if he was about to expose a big secret. “Ted,” he finally says. “Ted Spankoffski.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*** *** ***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One day later, Emma cursed as she woke up, the scratchy blanket making her arms itch. She hoped it had just been some fucked up dream, but no, she was really here, in a dark basement, with as only company a homeless guy named Ted, who is apparently from the future, just like that murderous person wearing her skin. Maybe he’s drunk. But at this point, that’s the least surprising thing that Emma discovered in the past few days.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She sat there for a few minutes, listening to Ted’s snoring. He’s a nice man, and he explained everything to her. It just smelled like he hadn’t showered in months. Maybe he hadn’t.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The door swung open. “You,” the impostor said, pointing at Emma. “Come with me.” She grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the door. Ted woke up and opened his mouth to say something, but before she could hear what he said, the door fell shut and her double locked the door. “Well… I suppose your new friend has told you what is going on, hm?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma nodded.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, it’s true. I’m from the future. I’m an android. Since I’ve traveled back in time, I’ve been developing weapons. With knowledge from the future, I can make the most powerful devices known to humankind at this time.” She smiled, opening the door to the other room. “I just need a test subject.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma’s jaw dropped. The room was filled with computer screens, and blueprints covered the walls. She tried to pull herself free from her grip, but she was strong. The double led her to a chair in the middle of the room and started restraining her arms.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I don’t want to restrain you, the effect of the weapons works better when you can squirm freely, but with all of those weapons around, I think it’s a good idea to do so. We wouldn’t want you to… rebel.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The impostor grabbed a syringe from a desk and smiled. Emma’s eyes went wide. Her double probably knew that she didn’t like needles, but she was determined not to show her panic. If she didn’t know it yet, at least she couldn’t use her fears against her.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma’s look-alike chuckled. “It’s a tracker. I don’t want you to escape. And this device has a few more cool features.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma tensed up as the needle got pushed into the back of her neck. She tried to move forward, but a hand closed around her throat, holding her in place. After a few seconds, the needle was removed and the hand let her go. She gasped for breath.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, let’s see if it works, shall we?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She grabbed something that looked like an old phone, and smiled at Emma as she pressed one of the buttons.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>A surge of electricity makes Emma squirm in her seat, tugging at the restraints as her legs kicked out. “Stop…” she begged. “Please!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The android watched her writhe in her seat for a few more seconds, before pressing another button on the device. “I’m quite </span>
  <em>
    <span>shocked</span>
  </em>
  <span> to see it works,” she chuckled. “I have never tested it.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma let her head fall back, trying to catch her breath as the double continued talking.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“This is only the first version. I’m going to make another one that can do much more. Knocking someone out, recording conversations, maybe even looking through someone’s eyes?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Why are you doing this?” Emma asked, looking at her look-alike. She hated how </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>face twisted into an evil grin.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> am in charge here, and I have something else to test out.” She picked up her phone, which Emma recognized as </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>old phone, and scrolled through her contacts. “Paul?” she asked, holding the phone to her ear. “Can you come down to the lab? And bring the little project I’ve been working on.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>A few moments later, Paul entered the room, and he avoided Emma’s gaze. He handed the android a small device. She squealed in delight. “I’ve been working on this for a while, so I’m excited to try it. It allows you to stab someone without being near them. I mean, gunshot wounds are fun, but what about a deep cut covering someone’s torso? That’s the real work.” She smiled, pointing the weapon at Emma. “Now, let’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>cut</span>
  </em>
  <span> this short, shall we?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma screamed as an invisible force sliced through her clothes and skin. She doubled over, protecting her stomach as much as she could with her arms tied behind her back.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Emma!” Paul shouted, kneeling by her side as the double chuckled.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Take her back to her room. You know where the first aid kit is. I’ll see you at lunch.” She kissed Paul’s cheek and left the room. The stairs creaked as she went upstairs.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul looked at Emma, who was breathing heavily. As soon as Paul freed her hands, she pressed them on the gash, screaming at the pressure, but keeping them in place in an attempt to slow the bleeding down.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She moved away as Paul put his hand on her shoulder. “No! Leave me alone…”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Emma, we have to stop the bleeding,” he said calmly.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You’re on her side!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Emma, listen to me.” He gently lifted her cheek up so she looked at him. “She’s my wife. In some weird way, you’re my wife too. If you let me patch you up, I can help you, and that homeless guy, escape.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma nodded slowly, standing up with Paul’s help. Paul guided her back to the room, where Ted was waiting for them. He carefully sat her down in the chair.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Put pressure on the wound,” he told Ted. “I’m going to grab a first aid kit.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Ted’s hands moved to put pressure on the cut as Paul left the room. He came back about two minutes later, opening a box and taking out various supplies. He tore Emma’s sweater apart, exposing her wounded abdomen. Blood was smeared all over her skin, and Emma looked away as Paul searched through the supplies.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Okay,” Paul said. “I’m going to clean the wound now.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma groaned, squirming in her seat as Paul poured some antiseptic onto the gash. “Stop…”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hold on, Emma. You’re doing great. Once this is over, we can find a way to get out of here,” Paul said as he soaked a needle in alcohol, before threading it. “Hey, you,” he said to Ted. “What’s your name?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Seriously, Paul? It’s me, Ted.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Ted?! What are you doing here.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Your wife is bleeding to death and you ask me to explain everything to you?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m not his wife…” Emma said weakly.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul shook his head. “It can wait. Can you hold her still?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma tensed up as Ted’s hands held her in place and Paul steadied the needle. She groaned as the needle pierced the skin, but Ted barely let her squirm. He still smelled like beer and cigarettes, but Emma tried to focus on that now, trying to take her mind off the pain.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Emma, the other Emma, is attending a meeting about climate change next week. She’ll be gone for two days. I’ll get your guys out of here. I’ll have to cut the implant out of your neck, but I can take you to the hospital. I don’t mind getting arrested.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Dude, you’re sending your wife to jail?” Ted asked.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul didn’t answer for a few seconds, concentrating on making the last suture. “I love her. But she’s a murderer. I have to do the right thing.” He cut the string, before putting the supplies back in the box. He stood up, walking towards the door. “Hang on until then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*** *** ***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, Ted sat down next to Emma as she lay on the mattress, shivering. Her sweater was bloody and torn, and the blanket was too rough on her wound.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Ted placed his coat over Emma’s shaking body. It almost covered her completely.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Thanks…” she mumbled. She didn’t even mind how bad it smelled, she was just grateful for the warmth.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Paul and Emma, the other Emma, might now me as an asshole, but I still care, you know? We’ll be stuck here for a week. I might as well befriend my roommate.” He chuckled sadly.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He was right. They might have gotten kidnapped and tortured, but at least they weren’t alone. And Paul was getting them out of here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*** *** ***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once again, Emma was woken up by the door being thrown open. She had no clue if it was day or night, as the basement had no windows.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma’s double stood in the doorway, holding a small device with a big red button.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“The </span>
  <em>
    <span>disintegrator…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Ted mumbled.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“The </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Emma asked.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The double smiled. “Your friend is right. This is the disintegrator, one of my newest inventions. One press on the button, and you turn to ash and dust. Literally. This device can turn any human, or robot, into a pile of dust within a minute.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Give me that,” Paul said, appearing in the doorway. “It’s too dangerous.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma’s doppelganger chuckled. “I develop </span>
  <em>
    <span>weapons</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I know it’s dangerous.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul reached for it, but when he grabbed it from her hands, he touched the red button.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Click.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <span>“No!” Ted shouted</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Emma’s eyes went wide as she looked down. A small dot appeared on her chest. It was smoking slightly, and she stumbled forward, whimpering softly. Paul pushed the double aside and caught Emma before she could hit the ground.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She looked at him, tears in her eyes. “Paul… It hurts…”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Shh, Emma… It’s okay.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Paul, I’m sorry…” Emma’s double started. “I-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul put his hand in the air, silencing her without looking away from Emma. The stairs creaked as the other Emma went upstairs, leaving the three alone. Ted sat down on the chair, tears stinging in his eyes as Paul tried to comfort a dying Emma.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Emma, I’m so sorry.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Emma mumbled, lifting her hand up to cup Paul’s face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the burning feeling slowly made its way up her body. She didn’t want to look, but her legs were probably gone by now, the burning feeling replaced by an uncomfortable numbness.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“No, it’s not… First, your identity got stolen, and then you got locked in a basement for a month. No one deserves that. I should’ve just killed her.” He picked up a knife from the table, his other hand still holding Emma tightly as her stomach turned into ash.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Paul…”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I didn’t do the right thing back then, but I’ll fix my mistakes. I promise.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Paul, she is your </span>
  <em>
    <span>wife</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You deserve to be happy. With </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” She looked down at Paul’s arm, the twenty-three now covered in ash. She realized she never asked about that tattoo. Well, it’s too late now.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ting.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The implant fell to the ground as her neck and shoulders disappeared.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Paul put the knife down and cupped her face with both hands, the only body part that’s left. “If you hadn’t sold your genetic material to CCRP, she wouldn’t have existed. So thank you for bringing my wife into this world.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>And with that, Emma’s head crumbles, and all that’s left of Emma Perkins is a pile of dust, and a murderous doppelganger.</span>
</p>
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